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Mr. President, Focus on Your Record not Ripping Bain and Romney

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is a rock solid Democrat and a President Obama backer. But he inadvertently and almost certainly unintentionally raised a campaign problem for Obama. The problem is the danger to Obama of what many perceive as going negative in his campaign salvos at presumptive GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney. Booker initially criticized Obama’s hit ad on Romney for his Bain Capital days, and then later walked it back after he took heat from Democrats. But the research is near universally conclusive on one point. And that’s that hit ads work best when a presidential challenger, or the president, is either trailing badly, or the race is close or the incumbent needs a game changer.

But the research is near universally conclusive on one point. And that’s that hit ads work best when a presidential challenger, or the president, is either trailing badly, or the race is close or the incumbent needs a game changer. The three most notable examples are Harry Truman’s freewheeling attacks on the GOP, George Bush Sr.’s Willie Horton hit ad on his opponent Democrat Michael Dukakis, and George W. Bush supporter’s swift boat hit ad against his opponent Democrat John Kerry). The attack and ads were desperate last ditch efforts to snatch victory from defeat or possible defeat. In those cases, there was little risk of backlash, since the embattled presidents were on their way to being earmarked as one term presidents.That is hardly the case with President Obama.

The message from the Bain flap is a simple one for Obama. That’s to stay on message. The message is to run on your record. It’s a stout record that keeps the focus exclusively on an economy that has shown signs of rebound, with unemployment down, with most economic indicators indicating positive growth, and the administration’s proposed measures to reduce the deficit without putting at mortal risk, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, praised. Obama has more than enough ammunition in his positive economic and fiscal record to make a solid case for another four years in the White House. The message for the President then is to stop wasting time and money on Bain and Bain type hit ads–and Romney. Obama’s record stands on it its own, and that’s what Americans can and will judge him on not his rip of Romney.